Parcel receiver



R. F. W. HESS PARCEL RECEIVER A ril 1, 1930.

Filed June 9, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 R. F. W. HESS PARCEL. RECEIVER April1, 1930.

Filed June 9, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WIIIIIIIIII/IIIIIIIII'III"InIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII awoznug VIIIIIIIIIIIflIII/IIIII'III PatentedApr. 1, 1930 UNITED STATES ROBERT F. W. HESS, OF DETROIT, MICHIGANPARCEL RECEIVER Application filed June 9, 1928.

This present invention pertains to a novel parcel receiver of the typeused in apartment houses, one side having a door opening into the halland the other side having a door opening into the kitchen.

- ment renders the door on the hall side capable of being opened at alltimes, and the final adjustment locks it altogether.

The invention is fully disclosed by way of example in the followingdescription and in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is anelevation of the receiver on the kitchen side with the door open;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section thereof showing the locking mechanism inrelease condition;

Fig. 3-is a section on the line 33 of Figure 2;

Fig. 4 is a section similar to Figure 2, showing the locking mechanismin locked condition after the door on the hall side has been closed;

Fig. 5 is a similar section showing different adjustment of the lockingmechanism to hold the same permanently open;

Fig. 6 is a similar section showing still another adjustment for holdingthe door permanently locked; and

Fig. 7 is a detail elevation of the adjustable joint in the operatinglinkage.

Reference to these views will now be made by use of like characterswhich are employed to designate corresponding parts throughout.

In the several Figures is shown a box 1, preferably of metal, andadapted to be inserted in a building wall in such a manner that one sidethereof is exposed to the ha ll or exterior and the other side is in oneof the rooms ofthe dwelling. In these sides are pro Serial No. 284,210.

vided hinged doors 2 and 3, and it will be assumed that the door 2 isexposed to the kitchen and the door 3 to the hall or exterior.

In the opening 2 to be closed by the door 2 is positioned a verticalstrip 4, and a similar strip 5 is located in a corresponding position inthe opening for the other door 3. The two strips are joined by a wall 6which defines a compartment for housing the locking mechanism presentlyto be described, and the several parts 4;, 5, and 6 may be integral witheach other and with the box in order to form an inseparable structure.The door 2 has a conventional latch 7 of any suitable type.

. The door 3 carries a keeper 8 having a notch 9 in its upper end andadapted to pass through a slot 10 in the strip 5. On the inner side ofthe strip is positioned a vertically slidable latch 11 having a slot 12through which the keeper 8 is adapted to pass. The upper edge of theslot is adapted for reception in the notch 9, as will presently bedescribed, and in such position the door 3 is locked to the box. A lug13 extends from the strip 5 through a slot 14 in the latch near theupper end thereof and a cotter pin 15 passed through the lug retains thelatch against the strip in sliding engagement therewith. At the upperend of the latch is a stem 16 slidable through an ear 17 projecting fromthe strip 5 and surrounded by a compressed spring 18 which tends to holdthe I latch in a downward position.

The lower portion of the latch is engaged by a lifting member 19 havinga lug 20 adapted to abut the upper wall of a rather long. slot 21 formedin the latch. A lug and cotter pin device 22 similar to that already theslot 21 and shorter slot 23 formed in the liftingmember; The lower endsof the latch and lifting member are formed with coinciding slots 24 and25 through which extends a lug 26 from the strip 5, and a cotter pin 27passed through the lug further aids in holding the lifting member andlatch in vertical position. At the lower extremity of the latch is. a oo2.8 extending eneath the described projects from the strip 5 throughlower end of the lifting member for a purpose which will presentlyappear.

Arockermember 29 is pivoted at one corner to one of the side walls ofthe box as indicated by the numeral 30 and is joined by a link 31 to thelifting member. To one of the lower swinging corners of the rocker issecured a tube or sleeve 32 having a longitudinal slot 33, and endcircumferential branches 34 and 35. A slidable rod 36 passes through thetube and has a stud 37 adapted for reception in either of the branches34 and or in the longitudinal portion 33. The rod extends through a boss38 in the door 2 and is provided with a head or buffer 39 engageable bythis door. A finger 40 projects inwardly from the lower end of the strip5 and is en. gaged by a spring 41, one end of which bears against finger42 extending downwardly from the rocker member 29, whereby the tube 32and the rocker 29 are normally retracted. Finally, the upper end of thelifting'memher is provided with a lug 43 to which is pivoted a dog 44limited by a suitable stop device against falling to a position lowerthan that illustrated in Figures 2 and 4.

In Figure 2 the mechanism is adjusted to permit the door 3 to be openedonly once. In this case the stud 37 is turned into the end branch 34,and in this case the head 39, on closing the door 2, has been engaged bythis door to shift the linkage and thereby raise the lifting member andlatch to a position where the latch permits the door 3 to be withdrawn.When the door 3 is closed, as shown in Figure 4, the dog 44 is engagedby the keeper 8 whereby the lifting member is repelled and the lug 2Othereon is forced out of engagement with the latch, as a result of whichthe latter is moved downwardly into the notch 9 by the action of thespring 18.

In Figure 5 the device is adjusted to permit repeated opening of thedoor 3. In this case the rod 36 has been turned slightly to bring thestud 37 into the longitudinal slot 33 and is moved forwardly to such anextent as to bring the forward end of the rod beneath the foot 28. Thelatter condition raises the latch which in turn raises the liftingmember, whereupon the lug 20 of the'lifting member falls back out ofengagement with the latch. Inasmuch as the lifting member is held inthis inactive position, and the rod 36 merely slides loosely in the tube32 on actuation ofthe kitchen door 2, the parts cannot return to lockingposition.

Finally, the mechanism may be adjusted to provide permanent locking ofthe keeper 8. This condition is illustrated in Figure 6 wherein the rod36 is turned to bring the stud 37 into the branch 35, in which case thehead 39 is out of the path of the door 2. WVhen turned to this positionthe forward end of the rod 36 presents a beveled or wedge-shaped end 45to the foot 28, permitting the latch to drop into the notch 9. The door3 is thus positively locked, and swinging of the door 2 does notinterfere with the adjustment.

On the outer side of the strip 4, a series of indications 46 aredepicted around the de pression 38 and cooperate with a pointer 47carried by the knob 39. The indications are arranged in such a mannerthat the registration of the pointer 47 with each of them brings thelocking mechanism into several settings or adjustments which have beendescribed.

Although a specific embodiment of the invention has been illustrated anddescribed, it will be understood that various alterations in the detailsof construction may be made without departing from the scope of theinvention as indicated by the appended claims.

lVhat I claim is 1. A parcel receiver comprising a box having doors inopposite walls thereof, a keeper carried by one of said doors, a latchslidably supported adjacent said door and adapted to engage said keeper,a device adapted to lift said latch from said keeper, linkage operableby the other door for operating said device, said linkage including tworelatively slidable members, means for locking one of said members tothe end of the other, and means for establishing a slip connectionbetween said members, whereby the two members may be caused to movetogether, or one freely of the other to imp art no motion to saiddevice.

2. A parcel receiver comprising a box having doors in opposite wallsthereof, a keeper carried by one of said doors, a latch slidablysupported adjacent said door and adapted to engage said keeper, alifting rod adapted to lift said latch from said keeper, linkageoperable by the other door for operating said lifting rod, said linkageincluding two relatively slidable members, means for locking one of saidmembers to the end of the other, and means for establishing a slipconnection between said members, whereby the two members may be causedto move together, or one freely of the other to impart no motion to saidlifting rod, one of said ends being positioned to remove said linkagefrom the path of said other door when the other slidable member islocked in said end, whereby to render said linkage inoperative by saiddoor.

3. A parcel receiver comprising a box having doors in opposite wallsthereof, a keeper carried by one of said doors, a latch slidablysupported adjacent said door and adapted to engage said keeper, alifting rod adapted to lift said latch from said keeper, a rockerpivoted to said box, a link connecting said rocker to said lifting rod,a slotted tube secured to said rocker, and a slidable rod adapted forsliding or locking connection with said tube and adapted for engagementby the other door. I

4. A parcel receiver comprising a box having doors in opposite wallsthereof, a keeper carried by one of said doors, a latch slidablysupported adjacent said door and adapted to engage said keeper, alifting rod adapted to lift said latch from said keeper, a rockerpivoted to said box, a link connecting said rocker to said lifting rod,a slotted tube secured to said rocker, a slidable rod adapted forsliding or locking connection with said tube and adapted for engagementby the other door, means for locking said rod to either end of theslotted tube, and means for establishing a slip connection between saidtube and rod, whereby the tube and rod may be caused to move together,or one freely of the other to impart no motion to said lifting rod.

5. A parcel receiver comprising a box having doors in opposite wallsthereof, a keeper carried by one of said doors, a latch slidablysupported adjacent said door and adapted to engage said keeper, alifting rod adapted to lift said latch from said keeper, a rockerpivoted to said box, a link connecting said rocker to said lifting rod,a slotted tube secured to said rocker, a slidable rod adapted forsliding or locking connection with said tube and adapted for engagementby the other door, means for locking said rod to either end of theslotted tube, and means for establishing a slip connection between saidtube and rod, Whereby the tube and rod may be caused to move together,or one freely of the other to impart no motion to said lifting rod, oneof the ends of the slot in the tubebeing positioned to remove saidslidable rod from the path of the other door when said rod is locked insaid end, whereby to render said rocker inoperative by said door.

6. A parcel receiver comprising a box having doors in opposite wallsthereof, a keeper carried by one of said doors, a latch slidablysupported adjacent said door and adapted to engage said keeper, alifting rod adapted to lift said latch from said keeper, a rockerpivoted to said box, a link connecting said rocker to said lifting rod,a slotted tube secured to said rocker, a slidable rod rotatable in saidtube and having a wedge-shaped end adapted in one position to lift saidlatch from said keeper and in another position to pass beneathsaid latchwithout moving the same.

7 A parcel receiver comprising a box having doors in opposite wallsthereof, a keeper carried by one of said doors, a latch slidablysupported adjacent said door and adapted to engage said keeper, alifting rod adapted to lift said latch from said keeper, a rockerpivoted to said box, a link connecting said rocker to said lifting rod,a slotted tube secured to said rocker, a slidable rod adapted forsliding or looking connection with said tube and adapted for engagementby the other door, a foot extending from the lower end of said latchbeneath the lower end of said lifting member, said rod being adapted forprojection beneath said foot and to raise the same.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ROBERT F. W. HESS.

